Sun Shields for Ears

ABSTRACT

A sun shield for the ears provided, including at least a flat body of a flexible material having an upper surface; a lower surface on the opposite side of the upper surface; an outer edge; an inner edge; a forward section; a rearward section; and two holes, with one hole in the forward section and proximal to the inner edge, and the second hole in the rearward section and proximal to the inner edge such that the temple bar of a pair of eyeglasses slides into the first hole in the forward section thru the upper surface and then into the second hole in the rearward section through the lower surface. The inner edge rests against the head of the user and extends horizontally over the user&#39;s ear, whereby the ear shield is positioned over the ear so that the ear is shaded from the harmful rays of the Sun.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to safety devices for protectingears from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the Sun, and in a particularthough non-limiting embodiment to sun shields that can be used withglasses or headgear to provide an improved ear protector, and anassociated method for shading and protecting ears from the Sun.

BACKGROUND

With various surveys indicating that fewer than 33% of people routinelyuse sunscreen or sun protection, skin cancer has become a dangerous riskand unfortunate reality for many people. However, the public is becomingincreasingly more aware that consistent use of broad-spectrum sunscreensand sun-protective practices can help prevent skin cancer.

One area particularly vulnerable to the Sun's harmful rays is the ears.Recent studies have shown that the ears are the third most frequentlocation for basal cell carcinomas, with approximately 39% located onthe front of the ear; approximately 37% located on the back of ear; andapproximately 24% on the rim of the ear.

Numerous devices are available for protecting different parts of thehead from the Sun's harmful ultraviolet rays, especially for protectingthe face and eyes via different types of headgear and sunglasses oreyeglasses. However, there are no commercially viable options forproviding protection to the ears.

All known, related prior art patents suffer from some sort oflimitation. In particular, most do not address safety issues associatedwith blocking the ear and interfering with hearing; none provide a highdegree of flexibility with respect to fit and adjustability for theuser; and many are too complex to be commercially and economicallyviable.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,746 to Rustin (1988) and U.S. Pat. No.5,943,703 to Avila (1999) describe ear protectors that cover the earsand appear to significantly block the ear opening, which could interferewith hearing and potentially create a safety issue if used in a workenvironment such as construction.

Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,750 describes an immovable ear shieldhaving three surfaces, which would not easily admit to comfortable wear;and U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,064 discloses an ear shield apparatus limited touse on headgear.

While previously known commercial embodiments are available forshielding ears, these too suffer from one or more of the followingdisadvantages:

(a) The designs are too complex to be commercially and economicallyviable. For example, many have complex shapes and numerous parts thatmust be manufactured and assembled. Complex features, unusual shapes, ormultiple parts increase the difficulty and cost of manufacture, therebycausing the resulting ear shield to be cost prohibitive or lesseconomically attractive to a potential purchaser.

(b) Some ear shields can block the ear and interfere with hearing,thereby leading to safety concerns if used under conditions in whichunimpaired hearing is essential.

(c) The fit and adjustability of existing ear shields are limited,thereby often providing little or no flexibility, thus limiting theusefulness and comfort of the product for the user.

(d) Known shields presently in use can be difficult and time-consumingto attach or use as required for adequate protection from harmfulultraviolet rays.

(e) Known shields are generally not available in multiple sizes and/orare too small to provide adequate shade. The lack of availability ofdifferent sizes for men, women and children, or having a single, uniformsize that is too small may result in the ear shield not providing enoughshade for adequate protection or may make the ear shield uncomfortable,unattractive, or undesirable to wear.

(f) An important consideration in the use of ear shields is that they bedurable enough to withstand use during physical activities such assports, construction and other outside endeavors. A lack of durabilityis also a consideration in known designs that limit the usefulness ofear shields.

SUMMARY

A combination of a pair of eyeglasses and at least one ear shield isdisclosed, the eyeglasses including at least a frame and pair of templesections, and at least one ear shield comprising a main body having anupper surface; a lower surface on the opposite side of the uppersurface; an inner edge; an outer edge; a forward section; and a rearwardsection; with the inner edge and the outer edge extending from theforward section toward the rearward section.

At least one hole is cut through the shield and located proximal to theinner edge; and at least one of the pair of temple sections extendsthrough at least one hole and along the inner edge from the forwardsection toward the rearward section. At least one of the pair of templesections entering the hole through the upper surface and extending overthe ear of the wearer and the inner edge of the ear shield touches thehead of the wearer, generally proximal to and above at least one of thepair of temple sections, and extending along the length of at least oneof the pair of temple sections; with the forward section of the earshield being of sufficient size to extend over the ear of the wearer. Inthis manner, the ear shield is removably attached to said eyeglasses andprovides shade for the wearer's ears.

Also disclosed is an ear shield comprising a main body; an uppersurface; a lower surface located on the opposite side of the uppersurface; a forward section; a rearward section; an inner edge; and anouter edge, with the inner edge and the outer edge extending from theforward section toward the rearward section, so that the ear shield hasan attachment area along the inner edge.

An associated method of shading a person's ears using an ear shield isdisclosed, wherein the shield comprises a main body; an upper surface; alower surface located on the opposite side of the upper surface; aforward section; a rearward section; an inner edge; an outer edge, andan attachment means, with the method further including: providingeyeglasses with a pair of temple bars; positioning said shield over anear; attaching said shield to at least one of said pair of temple bars;and adjusting said shield to ensure adequate shield over the ear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ear shield according to a firstexample embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first example embodiment depicted inFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second example embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second example embodiment depictedin FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a further perspective view of second example embodimentdepicted in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the second example embodiment depicted in FIG.3.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a third example embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fourth example embodiment.

REFERENCE NUMERALS USED IN DRAWING FIGS. 1-8. 10 ear shield 12 inneredge 14 outer edge 15 wire 16 edge material 18 hole 19 pivot flap 20upper surface 22 lower surface 24 attachment area 25 attachment strip 26forward section 28 rearward section 30 eyeglasses 32 eyeglasses frame 34temple bar

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

As suggested above, several advantages over the prior art of one or moreaspects of an ear shade or ear visor consistent with the instantdisclosure include the ability:

(a) to provide a sun shield for ears that is simple in design and shape,thereby providing for easy manufacture and assembly and resulting inreduced cost;

(b) to provide a sun shield for ears that leaves the ear canalunimpeded, allowing the user to have normal or possibly increasedhearing ability due to the shield acting as a funnel for sound waves tothe ear;

(c) to provide a sun shield for ears that is flexible and formable suchthat the user can shape the shield to provide optimal shading andcomfort;

(d) to provide a sun shield for ears that can be easily attached toglasses or headgear (hats, visors, helmets, etc.) without difficulty orconfusion for the user;

(e) to provide a sun shield for ears that is available in differentsizes for women, children, and men, is large enough to provide adequateshade and protection for the user, and is a size that is attractive andcomfortable for the user; and

(f) to provide a sun shield for ears that is durable and lightweightenough to withstand harsh use during physical activities such as sportsor outdoor activities while not being noticed by the user as anadditional unreasonable or uncomfortable additional weight.

In short, an improved sun shield, shade, or visor for ears offers asimple, easy-to-use, stylish, flexible, adjustable, safe, durable, andeconomically viable product for supplemental protection of a person'sears from the harmful rays of the Sun.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent to those ofskill in the art from consideration of the following detaileddescription of several example embodiments, especially as read inconjunction with the related drawings and parts list summarized above.

As seen in the example embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1-2, a sun shieldfor ears comprises a flat body of a flexible material having an uppersurface; a lower surface; an outer edge; and an inner edge with meansfor attaching to the temple portion of a pair of eyeglasses. The sunshield is attached to the temple part of the glasses such that the inneredge of the body is positioned along the temple part of the glasses, andthe sun shield extends horizontally over an ear, whereby the ear shieldis positioned over the ear and therefore shaded from the harmful rays ofthe Sun.

The ear shield 10 can be made of a variety of materials, e.g., foam,cloth, plastic, elastomer, UV-A and UV-B opaque material, fiberglass,rubber, metal, and various other materials providing UV protection. Anespecially useful material is a flexible material, for example, across-linked foam formed into a sufficient size and shape as to blockthe Sun's rays and provide shade for the ears.

In one embodiment, the ear shield 10 has a flat body with an uppersurface 20; a lower surface 22 located on the back side of the uppersurface 20; a forward section 26; a rearward section 28; an inner edge12 and an outer edge 14 that extend from the forward section 26 towardthe rearward section 28; and a plurality of holes 18 disposed proximalto and along to the inner edge 14.

In one embodiment, a plurality of holes 18 are spaced proximal andparallel to the inner edge 12. In an alternative embodiment the shield10 has two holes 18, with a first hole 18 located in the forward section26 and a second hole 18 located in the rearward section 28.

In a further embodiment, the ear shield 10 is sized such that theforward section 26 will provide adequate shade to an ear when the earshield 10 is placed directly over the ears of a human being, with theinner edge 12 parallel to and touching the circumference of the head. Ina still further embodiment, the ear shield 10 is removably attached toeyeglasses 30 by inserting the eyeglass 30 temple bar 34 through thehole 18 disposed on upper surface 20 of the forward section 26, and thenagain through the hole 18 on the lower surface 22 of the rearwardsection 28 as shown in FIG. 2.

As seen in the example embodiments depicted in FIGS. 3-6, the ear shield10 further comprises an attachment strip 25, which is attached to andruns along the inner edge 12 from the forward section 26 toward therearward section 28; a pivot flap 19 that extends across the forwardsection 26 from the inner edge 12 toward the outer edge 14; and a moldedwire 15 inserted into the ear shield 10 material and running along theouter edge 14.

In further embodiments, the attachment strip 25 provides an attachmentmeans for attaching the shield 10 to the temple bar 34 of eyeglassesframe 32, and/or the pivot flap 19 provides means for adjusting the earshield 10 in order to assist personalized user adjustment of the shieldfor better fit and comfort. In a still further embodiment, the moldedwire 15 provides support for the ear shield 10, and serves as anadditional means for allowing the user to bend, shape, and adjust theear shield 10 to meet personal preference for fit and comfort in shadingthe ears.

As seen in the example embodiment depicted in FIG. 7, the ear shield 10further comprises an attachment area 24 that can be combined with anattachment means to attach to eyeglasses or headgear (e.g., hats,visors, helmets, etc.) in order to provide better shade for the ears ofa user.

As seen in the example embodiment depicted in FIG. 8, the ear shield 10is attached to eyeglasses 30 and has an edge material 16 that runssubstantially along the perimeter of the shield 10 including the inneredge 12 and outer edge 14. In one embodiment, the edge material 16 is aflexible and durable wire embedded in the shield 10 material, providesadditional support for durability, and allows the wearer to adjust theear shade to meet personal preference for fit and comfort by bending andadjusting the edge material 16 as desired to the preferred shape andangle. In another embodiment, the ear shield 10 is attached to theeyeglasses temple bar 30 via glue, sewing, clamp, clip, or anotherattachment means.

In still another embodiment, the ear shield has one or more sleeves orholes that allow it to be removably attached to the eyeglasses templebar 34 by sliding the temple bar 34 into the sleeve or sleeves, orsliding the temple bar 34 into a hole or holes that allow the temple barto pass through and hold the shade, the preferred location of sleeve orhole being along the inner edge.

In yet another embodiment, the ear shield is attached to headgear (e.g.,cap, visor, etc.), by attaching the ear shield 10 inner edge 12 to theheadgear in a location proximate with the wearer's ears. The ear shield10 may be permanently attached to the headgear via glue, clamp, clip,sewing, fuse, snaps, plastic injection, wire, or another attachmentmeans; or removably attached to headgear via clamp, clip, sleeve, hole,hook and loop fastener, snap, or another attachment means, therebyproviding removable attachment.

In a further embodiment, the ear shield 10 is integrated with eyeglasses30 or headgear such that the ear shield is a permanent part of theeyeglasses 30 or headgear. In a still further embodiment, the ear shield10 is removably attached to the eyeglasses temple bar 34 or headgearsuch that the shield 10 can be removed and reattached as preferred bythe wearer.

From the description above, a number of advantages of the ear shade orear visor become evident:

-   -   (a) The simple design of the ear shade will help to facilitate        efficient and economical manufacture.    -   (b) The position of the ear shield above the ear will leave the        ear canal clear of obstructions, allowing the user to have        normal or potentially increased hearing ability.    -   (c) The material and features, such as flexible wire, will give        a wearer the ability to flex and form the ear shield to provide        optimal shading and comfort.    -   (d) The means for attaching the ear shield to eyeglasses or        headgear will allow easy, uncomplicated attachment and use.    -   (e) The availability of different sizes and shapes will make the        ear shield more effective, attractive, and comfortable for        different wearers.    -   (f) The simple design and use of durable material will allow use        of the ear shields in work, athletic, or other harsh activities        and environments or as a part of personnel protection equipment        (PPE), beach wear, or outdoor wear.

The ear shields disclosed herein can be attached to eyeglasses orheadgear to provide shade to the ears, and to help protect them from theSun's harmful ultraviolet rays. In addition, the ear shields are costeffective to manufacture; can be sold at a low cost; are easy to attachand use for eyeglasses and headgear; are both durable and flexible; andcan cost-effectively be manufactured in a variety of different sizes toensure adequate shade for people of many different ages and sizes.

Furthermore, the sun shields herein presented have the additionaladvantage of providing for simple and economical manufacture; clear,unobstructed hearing; the ability to adjust to fit the wearer's physicalshape and for comfort; it provides uncomplicated attachment to glassesor headgear; it provides various sizes and shapes for different typesand size of wearers; provides the option of use in harsh activities andenvironments; and provides a cushion for the ears.

Those of skill in the relevant arts will also appreciate the ear shielddescribed herein can be made with material having differentcharacteristics; of differing sizes, shapes, colors and prints(including advertising, camouflage, etc.); with materials having avariety of different properties (e.g., flexible, rigid, etc.); withmaterials allowing flexibility of the ear shield around the perimeter orpartial perimeter of the shield; with features such as the ability tocause eyeglasses to float when dropped in water; the ability to fold theshields to the side of the user's head when not in use; and withdifferent methods of attaching (either permanently or removably) to theuser's head in combination with eyeglasses and sunglasses frames ortemples, headgear, and/or a plurality of other means previously known orconceived in the future.

The foregoing specification is provided for illustrative purposes only,and is not intended to describe all possible aspects of the presentinvention. Moreover, while the invention has been shown and described indetail with respect to several exemplary embodiments, those of ordinaryskill in the art will appreciate that minor changes to the description,and various other modifications, omissions and additions may also bemade without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

1. A combination of a pair of eyeglasses and at least one ear shield,said eyeglasses comprising a frame and pair of temple sections, said atleast one ear shield comprising: (a) a main body having an uppersurface, a lower surface on the opposite side of said upper surface, aninner edge, an outer edge, a forward section, and a rearward section,said inner edge and said outer edge extending from said forward sectionto said rearward section; (b) at least one of at least one hole cutthrough said shield and located proximal to said inner edge and anattachment area along said inner edge; and (c) said forward section ofsaid ear shield being of sufficient size to extend over the ear of thewearer.
 2. The combination of a pair of eyeglasses and at least one earshield of claim 1 wherein said shield has two holes cut through saidshield, with one hole located in said forward section and proximal tosaid inner edge and with a second hole located in said rearward sectionand proximal to said inner edge such that said at least one of saidtemples extends through and between said holes along the lower surfaceof said shield and extending from said forward section to said rearwardsection.
 3. The combination of a pair of eyeglasses, and at least oneear shield of claim 1 wherein said shield is made of a flexiblematerial.
 4. The combination of a pair of eyeglasses, and at least oneear shield of claim 3 wherein said flexible material is cross-linkedfoam.
 5. The combination of a pair of eyeglasses, and at least one earshield of claim 1 wherein said main body is flat.
 6. The combination ofa pair of eyeglasses and at least one ear shield of claim 1 furthercomprising: at least one of said pair of temple sections extendingthrough said at least one hole and along said inner edge from saidforward section toward said rearward section, said at least one of saidpair of temple sections entering said hole through said upper surfaceand extending over the ear of the wearer and said inner edge of said earshield touching the head of the wearer, proximal to and above said atleast one of said pair of temple sections, and extending along thelength of said at least one of said pair of temple sections.
 7. Thecombination of a pair of eyeglasses and at least one ear shield of claim1 wherein said attachment area has an attachment means.
 8. Thecombination of a pair of eyeglasses and at least one ear shield of claim7 wherein said attachment means attaches to a pair of eyeglasses, saideyeglasses having at least one temple bar and said attachment meansattaching to said temple bar.
 9. The combination of a pair of eyeglassesand at least one ear shield of claim 8 wherein said at least one templebar attaches to said shield by sliding into at least one sleeve alongthe length of said inner edge and extending from said forward section tosaid rearward section.
 10. The combination of a pair of eyeglasses andat least one ear shield of claim 8 wherein said attachment means is aclamp.
 11. The combination of a pair of eyeglasses and at least one earshield of claim claim 7 wherein said attachment means attaches to therim of a headgear.
 12. The combination of a pair of eyeglasses and atleast one ear shield of claim 7 wherein said ear shield main body iscomposed of a flexible material.
 13. The combination of a pair ofeyeglasses and at least one ear shield of claim 7 wherein said outeredge of said shield has a flexible means.
 14. The combination of a pairof eyeglasses and at least one ear shield of claim 13 wherein saidflexible means is a flexible wire.
 15. The combination of a pair ofeyeglasses and at least one ear shield of claim 13 wherein said inneredge also includes a flexible means.
 16. The combination of a pair ofeyeglasses and at least one ear shield of claim 1 wherein a pivot flapextends across said main body.
 17. The combination of a pair ofeyeglasses and at least one ear shield of claim 16 wherein said pivotflap extends from said outer edge to said inner edge and across saidforward section.
 18. (canceled)
 19. (canceled)
 20. (canceled)